The Differences Between Cardiac Asthma and Traditional Asthma
The term cardiac asthma isn’t really thrown about very much anymore, but it is still a very real issue for some. Now, cardiac asthma shouldn’t be confused with your typical asthma—they are very different medical conditions. In this article we are going to discuss the difference between typical asthma and cardiac asthma, as well as methods of treatment for cardiac asthma.
Traditional asthma is caused when the bronchial airways become constricted, which results in inflammation. This makes it difficult for the sufferer to breathe and often causes them to wheeze and experience tightness in their chest. With cardiac asthma, fluid enters the lungs due to the reduced pumping efficiency of the heart. More often than not the fluid buildup is caused by the heart has a major issue, such as shifting too much of the pumping “work load” to one side of the heart, causing stress to it.
Cardiac asthma most often strikes when a person has been exercising or a few hours after they have fallen asleep. They may awaken with several or just a few symptoms, but the main ones include shortness of breath, difficulty breathing, shallow breathing with or without wheezing, increased blood pressure and heart rate, and coughing. There may be other symptoms that are more difficult to detect, such as a general feeling of uneasiness or simply just not feeling “right”. Some of these symptoms are shared with traditional asthma, such as wheezing, coughing, shallow breathing, difficulty breathing, and shortness of breath; however traditional asthma can strike at any time and has numerous “triggers”.
Diagnosing the cardiac form of asthma is can be quite difficult as the symptoms could very well be caused by another condition. Some of the symptoms overlap, so extensive testing is done to determine the true cause behind the breathing difficulty. As mentioned earlier, one of the most common times for cardiac asthma to strike is a few hours after the person has fallen to sleep. While this is a possible occurrence in traditional asthma, it is not very likely. Therefore, the pattern of occurrence is the main tell tale sign when diagnosing the problem. Typical asthma is diagnosed by assessing the patient’s family history and performing a physical exam. The patient may also be asked to describe when the asthma usually attacks, such as during exercise, when allergies flare up or the weather changes, and even during stress.
The extent of the treatment largely depends upon what exactly is causing the heart to fail and the severity of the condition. For instance, if a hole is present or a valve is blocked, the situation is likely to be considered potentially life-threatening and would require surgery to rectify the problem. Sometimes medications will suffice, particularly if the patient is not deemed to be at critical risk. Water pills, or tablets designed to help the body rid itself of excess fluid, can help clear up the fluid that has gathered in the lungs, allowing the heart to pump regularly.
Asthma treatment varies from the cardiac related asthma quite a lot in some ways. Most patients with typical asthma will not receive surgery as a form of treatment. Asthma is usually treated by an inhaler. This device shoots a spray of medication into the mouth to be inhaled. The medication is often a fast-acting bronchodilator that work to dilate the bronchial airways, allowing air to freely move through.
If you believe you may have experienced any sort of asthma attack, be it traditional or cardiac, please book an appointment with your doctor straight away. Sometimes difficulty breathing is not caused by asthma at all but by other issues. Never take a chance with your health!